Chapter 694

【 HELA’S PROMISE 】

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The Realm of Seigües, Pantheon.

Within the magnificent and solemn golden palace, holy light shimmered upon one of the divine thrones.

A vast and overwhelming presence descended, and Eve’s radiant veiled figure appeared upon the throne designated for the Goddess of Life, which was adorned with blooming flowers, lush greenery, and intertwining vines.

The moment she arrived, her gaze swept across the great hall and Evé soon realized that she was not alone. Several other unfamiliar gods were also present within the Pantheon.

Like Evé, their figures were indistinct and partially obscured, wrapped in layers of holy light as they stood at a distance, conversing quietly.

Sensing Eve’s arrival, the gods simultaneously turned their eyes toward her and offered slight nods of acknowledgment in greeting.

In turn, Evé responded with a nod of her own, despite not recognizing the identities of these gods.

Immediately afterward, another profound presence manifested within the grand hall.

This time, it felt far more familiar to her.

Instinctively, she looked toward the throne reserved for the Goddess of Death. There, ashen dark light spread across the seat, before quickly coalescing into a graceful figure concealed within layers of gray mist.

Though her form was likewise obscured, there was no doubt that it was Hela, the Goddess of Death and ruler of the Netherworld.

As Eve directed her gaze toward the new arrival, Hela also looked back at her. The latter then gave a slight nod and transmitted her voice directly into Eve’s mind:

“Your Grace Evé, let us speak in a private sanctuary.”

A private sanctuary…?

Eve’s heart stirred slightly.

She glanced around the vast hall, yet saw no other chambers or hidden passages nearby.

As if sensing her confusion, Hela was the first to rise from her divine throne. Without further explanation, she turned and walked toward the back of the Pantheon.

Suppressing her curiosity, Evé followed. The two soon arrived at a wall along one side of the Pantheon, its surface seemingly no different from the rest of the grand structure.

Hela lightly tapped the wall and ripples then began to spread across its surface, before a solemn door gradually emerged from it.

Sensing subtle fluctuations in space, Evé realized that Hela had temporarily opened, or perhaps created, this so called ‘private sanctuary’ within an alternate dimension.

Hela was the first to enter, and Evé followed immediately after.

As her vision shifted, Evé found herself within a temple much smaller than the one before. Surveying her surroundings, she saw that the entire structure was built of white stone and arranged in a square formation. Towering stone pillars encircled the space, lending it a solemn grandeur that reminded her of the Roman Parthenon from her previous life on Earth.

The temple’s backdrop was an endless, dark sky, punctuated by countless mesmerizing, dazzling starry lights.

After a brief glance, Evé recognized it as a projection of the universe of Seigües.

Hela walked to the center of the temple, and as she did, the holy light surrounding her gradually faded, revealing her true appearance.

Her long black hair fell straight down her back, and her crimson eyes and composed, imposing face gave her an air of solemn nobility.

She wore a loose black robe decorated with pale white patterns and skull motifs.

Hela looked toward the center of the temple hall, and two majestic-looking divine thrones instantly manifested.

—No, rather than mere manifestations, which only gave the illusion of realness, to Eve’s perception it seemed that what Hela had just done was to genuinely create these thrones through divine power.

So this private sanctuary actually possessed the same abilities as those of a divine kingdom?

The thought stirred something within Evé.

Hela quickly seated herself upon one of the thrones and gestured slightly toward Evé.

“Please, take a seat, Your Grace Eve.”

Evé nodded lightly and sat across from Hela.

“I never imagined that the Pantheon held a place like this,” Evé remarked, her eyes sweeping over the place with a mixture of curiosity and admiration.

“Mhm. This is an isolated space that gods may enter when they wish to converse in private,” Hela explained. “As you can see, it also carries some characteristics of a divine kingdom. One simply needs to touch that wall at the back of the Pantheon to gain entry to this temple.”

“The Heavenly Crusade against the demons is approaching, and as a result, interactions among the gods have become more frequent. This makes it far more convenient for us to hold discussions here, away from prying eyes.”

Hela’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“In this sanctuary, we can directly create whatever we desire with divine power. Of course, nothing created here can be taken outside.”

Evé nodded in acknowledgment. She lightly tapped the armrest of her throne, and with that simple gesture, an ancient stone table materialized between the two deities. Upon it appeared two crystal cups and a teapot, the latter releasing a warm, inviting fragrance.

The teapot then lifted itself into the air, tilting to pour a golden liquid into both cups.

Hela raised an eyebrow slightly and beckoned with a hand, and one of the cups floated smoothly to her side. She took it with composed elegance, sipped gently, and her expression softened as she nodded in quiet approval.

“Mhm. Is this elven flower tea? Not bad.”

“Indeed it is. Your Grace Hela truly is well versed in many things,” Evé replied with a small smile.

Hela drained her cup in a single sip and then shook her head slightly, as if brushing off the compliment.

“It is merely that, as the one who governs over death, I have learned of such things from the countless memories of the dead I have witnessed over the ages.”

Her expression then turned serious, her gaze locking onto Eve’s as she moved directly to the matter at hand.

“Now, Your Grace Evé, what exactly was that projection you sent me earlier?”

Evé did not answer immediately but instead extended her right hand, which shimmered faintly.

After a brief surge of spatial fluctuation, a blood red crystal appeared in her palm.

Upon seeing the crystal, Hela’s expression tightened.

Her crimson gaze swept over it, then her eyes brightened slightly.

“It truly is the racial Divinity of the Bloodborne. Where exactly did you obtain it?”

“It happened like this…”

Evé smiled faintly and recounted the sequence of events, focusing only on the key points.

After hearing her explanation, Hela frowned slightly.

“The House of Cappadocia…? it seems they truly are Gaius’s (TL/N: Previously translated as Guy) direct descendants.”

She then let out a cold snort.

“No wonder I was never able to locate the portion of the Law of Death that Gaius stole. It turns out he had hidden it by assimilating it into his divinity and even passed it down to his descendants.”

Gaius was the progenitor of the Bloodbornes.

Having obtained the crystal, Evé also gained insight into the origins of the Bloodborne from the knowledge she gleaned from it.

Unlike other races, which first came into existence and later condensed a racial divinity, the Bloodborne were created in reverse, with the divinity preceding the race, since the one who brought them into being was Gaius, their progenitor.

Creating a highly intelligent, sentient life capable of reproduction was almost an exclusive ability reserved for the God who governs the Laws of Life. Therefore, other mythical beings found it extremely difficult to accomplish such a feat.

Yet the progenitor of the Bloodborne, Gaius, had surprisingly succeeded.

From what Evé learned from the Bloodborne inheritance, it seemed that Gaius did not actually rely on the Laws of Life per se. Rather, he took the opposite path, borrowing the power of the Law of Death.

By doing so, he was able to create an entirely unique existence that was neither fully living nor truly dead, incorporating the portion of the Law of Death he had stolen and assimilating it with his own divinity.

With this thought in mind, Evé looked at the red crystal with a trace of surprise.

“Your Grace Hela, I remember you once told me that a portion of the Laws of Death was missing. Does this mean that this crystal truly contains the parts that were lost?”

Hela nodded.

“Indeed. In fact, Gaius was once a subordinate deity of the Primordial God of Death. However, one million years ago, he defected and stole part of the Laws of Death. That period coincided with the first great eruption of the Abyss, during which the Primordial God of Death perished.”

“Later, I tracked Gaius down and confronted him within a Titan ruin. I ultimately killed him, but I was gravely injured in the process and nearly lost control over the Netherworld.”

“Even so, I never discovered where he had hidden the portion of the Law of Death which he stole.”

As she spoke, Hela looked at Evé again with a serious expression.

“Your Grace Evé, since we are allies, I will speak bluntly. What price must I pay to obtain this crystal from you?”

Seeing the fervor in Hela’s eyes, Evé smiled gently.

“Your Grace Hela, there is no need for such formality. This divinity is of little use to me. It was only because I discovered the Law of Death within it that I thought of contacting you.”

“Since you need this, then by all means, please take it.”

As she spoke, Evé opened her palm, and the blood-red crystal slowly lifted, floating toward Hela.

The Goddess of Death paused for a moment, slightly startled, before instinctively accepting the crystal. She held it carefully and extended her consciousness into it to examine the portions of the Law of Death contained within it.

After a few minutes, Hela looked back at Evé and her gaze had softened considerably.

“Your Grace Evé, your generosity puts me to shame…”

She sighed softly, her voice filled with gratitude.

Hela suddenly stood up and offered Evé a slight bow, then continued.

“You may not realize just how important this portion of the Law of Death is to me. To others, it may seem like a mere divinity fragment, perhaps barely enough for a mortal to ascend into the rudimentary stage of Godhood. To me, however, it represents the key to fully controlling the Netherworld and perfecting my own divinity.”

Her tone then grew firm and resolute.

“Your Grace Evé, I am truly grateful for your gift. Yet I have never liked being indebted to anyone, even an ally.”

“Tell me. Speak honestly—what is it that you wish to obtain from me? As long as it lies within my power, I shall grant it.”

Evé paused for a moment, considering her words carefully.

Meeting Hela’s calm yet unwavering gaze, a thought stirred within her, and she asked, “Your Grace Hela, with this, will you be able to leave the Netherworld for even a short period of time?”

Hela considered the question briefly before nodding lightly.

“I suppose so. The reason I cannot freely leave the Netherworld in the first place is to prevent certain despicable individuals from seizing control while I am away. But once I have perfected my divinity and gained complete control over the Netherworld, none of those concerns will remain anymore.”

Seeing the confidence in Hela’s expression, Evé recognized the deeper implication of her words.

With that crystal now in her hands, Hela’s path toward advancing into Greater Divine Power would be entirely unimpeded, and she would likely achieve it very soon.

With that in mind, Evé asked again,

“In that case, would you be willing to stand as my guard when I advance to Greater Divine Power?”

“Advance to Greater Divine Power?”

Hela froze, her crimson eyes widening. She stared at Evé in disbelief, unable to conceal the shock in her expression.

“Your Grace Evé… Is it really true that you are about to advance to Greater Divine Power?”

Evé nodded lightly.

“Right now, I am only lacking a little more divine power to reach the threshold needed… but I plan to advance during the Crusade within the Abyss.”

“Within the Abyss? You are actually able to leave the Realm of Seigües?”

Hela was stunned.

“I was fortunate enough to encounter certain opportunities, you see.” Evé replied.

Hela stared at Evé for a long moment, then sighed softly.

“Your rate of growth truly astonishes me. It seems that you will soon return to the same rank of the previous World Tree.”

After saying this, her expression turned solemn.

“Very well. Your Grace Evé, when you decide to advance, do inform me in advance and I will arrive in time to safeguard you.”

With Hela’s promise secured, Evé felt a sense of relief.

Although advancing within the Abyss could avoid the attention of the gods, it also carried the risk of attracting attacks from the Demons.

At such a moment, having a powerful ally to stand guard would be ideal.

After reaching this agreement, the two deities exchanged further intel that each possessed.

Evé informed Hela of the current state of the World of Seigües, while Hela shared the recent developments she knew concerning the Heavenly Realm.

It turned out the entire Coalition of Human Deities faction hadn’t reacted negatively over Evé bringing Maple Leaf Territory under her influence. Since just as she had predicted, they were fully occupied with preparations for the upcoming Crusade at the moment.

This allowed Evé to finally set her mind at ease.

After their exchange, the two deities began preparing to depart.

However, just as they were about to leave, Evé suddenly recalled something.

“Oh, Your Grace Hela,” she spoke, her tone catching Hela’s attention.

“Is there anything else you wish to discuss?” Hela asked, halting the motion of dispersing her incarnation.

Evé placed her thumb on her chin.

“Back when I fought the Titan King, before he perished, Anos said something cryptic that I didn’t know the real meaning.”

“What did he say?”

“‘He said that ‘We are all pitiful beings abandoned by the world.’ ”

“Do you know what that means?” Evé asked, her voice carrying a mix of curiosity and unease.

Hela frowned slightly at the words. She paused thoughtfully, her crimson eyes narrowing as she considered them, then gently shook her head.

“I do not know. This is the first time I have heard such words.”

Evé felt a trace of disappointment.

“—However.”

Hela suddenly changed her tone.

“I just recalled that when I inherited the mantle of the God of Death, I once heard a similar thing from the Primordial Death God. I did not pay much attention to it at the time, but after hearing such words, it seems there may be some correlation to it.”

“What was it?” Eve asked.

Hela hesitated briefly, then said,

“‘Primordial Death said that we… are all failures.’”

We are all failures…?

Evé frowned, her confusion deepening as she repeated the words silently to herself, trying to grasp their meaning.

Seeing her tightly knit brows, Hela spoke again.

“Your Grace Evé, many secrets from the ancient times have long been lost to the passage of time. Though we, as gods, are immensely powerful beings, there still remain countless mysteries within the universe that lie beyond our scope of understanding.”

“For instance, who the Divine Creator of the universe truly is, where the King of the Gods, Neo, disappeared to, and the origin of the Abyss… to this day, no one can provide definitive answers to these questions.”

“When I assumed the mantle of the God of Death, my predecessor, the Primordial Death, left behind those very words in his inheritance. He warned me not to rashly seek out the deeper secrets of the world before attaining Greater Divine Power.”

“And only once one achieves Greater Divine Power will all things be revealed, and the truths of the universe finally becomes clear.”

༺⟐༻

After bidding farewell to Hela, Evé returned to Garden of Eden.

Whilst seated upon her divine throne, she reflected upon the words Hela had spoken before parting.

“Only once one achieves Greater Divine Power will all things be revealed, and the truths of the universe finally becomes clear…”

At that moment, Evé recalled the words spoken to her by Etriōu when they met, as well as what Urinos had once told her.

They had all expressed similar sentiments.

At the same time, Evé remembered her agreement with Urinos and the warnings from the fallen dwarven god Barolte, who had cautioned her repeatedly about the Cradle of Origin.

“Cradle… what secrets are you hiding?”

She murmured softly.

After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head.

“It’s no use overthinking such things. I’m close to advancing into Greater Divine Power anyway, and I will understand everything in due time.”

“No matter what secrets the universe still conceals, as long as I am strong enough, none of it will ever pose a problem.”

“After all, in this world, strength is the foundation that changes everything.”

Evé possessed such confidence.

As long as she could withstand the descent of the gods three years from now, in theory she would have the full capacity to continue growing and ultimately become a Greater Divine Being which might even surpass Neo, the King of Gods.

The mere existence of her ability [Absorption] ensured that her rank advancement would never reach a bottleneck.

“I will first try using the bloodline traits of the Bloodborne I’ve obtained to expand the players’ options. I must also finish my preparation for the upcoming Crusade against the Demons.”

As she spoke, she established a connection with the game system.

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